Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 223: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the action she has taken to date to fulfil the commitment in the programme for Government to make substantial cuts to the number of State bodies and companies; the number of such bodies and companies under her remit; the number that have been reformed, merged or abolished since March of this year; the plan in place within her Department to fully deliver on this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32857/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The three statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Social Welfare Tribunal, the Citizens Information Board and the Pensions Board. In addition, the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman comes under the remit of the Department.

No statutory body under the aegis of the Department has been merged or abolished since March 2011.

The Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes proposed the merging of the Pensions Board with the Financial Regulator and the merging of the Pensions Ombudsman with the Financial Services Ombudsman. It is planned to look in more detail at the feasibility of these recommendations.